This application claims priority to German patent application no. 102 45 361.6 filed Sep. 28, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The present invention relates to convertible vehicles having a folding top that can be lowered into a folding top storage compartment defined within the convertible vehicle, which compartment is closed or covered by a movable storage compartment lid. More particularly, cover plates are described for covering passage apertures designed to permit longitudinally-extending side edges of the folding top to be extended from the folding top storage compartment when the folding top is moved to a roof closed position.
German Patent No. 38 01 148 C1 discloses a convertible vehicle having a retractable folding top, in which folding top frame (linkage) elements extend along the longitudinal edges of the folding top. The folding top frame elements pass through apertures (passage apertures) defined within the upper edges of the respective longitudinal side walls of the convertible vehicle body when the foldable top is opened and closed, so as to dispose the folding top in a folding top storage compartment defined within the convertible vehicle. A storage compartment lid is provided to cover the folding top when it has been stored in (retracted into) the folding top storage compartment. Further, the respective passage apertures are closable (coverable) by a pair of cover plates coupled to the folding top storage compartment lid. Each cover plate is pivotably supported on the underside of the folding top storage compartment lid and can be pivoted into the aperture covering or closing position by a driving mechanism, to thereby cover the passage aperture.
German Laid-open Patent Publication No. 199 12 893 A1 also describes cover plates or cover lids for covering respective apertures defined within the convertible vehicle body when the folding top has been stored in (retracted into) the folding top storage compartment. Each cover plate is pivotably supported by a pivoting mechanism that pivotably raises and lowers the cover plate so as to cover the aperture. Furthermore, a roller is provided at the terminal end of each cover plate, which roller engages a holding device when the cover plate is disposed in the aperture covering position (i.e., when the folding top is stored within the folding top storage compartment).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,608 discloses a cover flap assembly for a passage opening defined in a side wall of a convertible vehicle body. The cover flap is moved to a passage opening position by a combined rotating and linear movement, so that the cover flap is moved below the adjacent panelling disposed on the side wall of the convertible vehicle body. This rotating and linear movement is effected by a carriage (guiding) device that is connected to a folding top storage compartment lid via a Bowden cable.
It is one object of the present invention to provide improved cover plates (cover lids) for covering passage apertures defined within a convertible vehicle body.
In one aspect of the present teachings, the cover plate(s) may be coupled to, and operable with, a folding top storage compartment lid. In other words, when the folding top (foldable roof) has been moved into (stored in) a folding top storage compartment defined within the convertible vehicle body, the folding top storage compartment lid is operated (moved) so as to cover the stored folding top. Preferably, the cover plate(s) is (are) also operated (moved) at this time so as to cover the corresponding passage aperture defined within a longitudinally-extending side wall of the convertible vehicle body. The passage aperture(s) is (are) defined so that the longitudinally-extending folding top frame (linkage) elements (i.e., foldable frame elements that support a roof covering) can be moved into and out of the folding top storage compartment in order to open and close the folding top. Optionally, passage apertures are preferably defined in each longitudinally-extending side wall of the convertible vehicle body. Further, each passage aperture may be continuous with (communicates with) the folding top storage compartment that is defined within the vehicle body for storing the folding top when the folding top is disposed in the folding top open position.
In another aspect of the present teachings, when the folding top storage compartment lid is operated (moved) so as to permit the folding top to be moved to the folding top closed position, the cover plate may be operably coupled to this movement, thereby enabling the cover plate to simultaneously open the passage aperture and permit the longitudinally-extending, outer edge components of the folding top frame (linkage) to be withdrawn from the folding top storage compartment.
In another aspect of the present teachings, the cover plate optionally may be designed so as to be moved along a vehicle-specific guide path with minimal technical effort. In other words, the particular movement path of the cover plate may be advantageously modified according to the particular vehicle body design for which the folding top is incorporated. In this case, the cover plate will avoid unintended contact with vehicle body components surrounding the passage aperture when the cover plate is moved to cover and uncover the passage aperture.
In another aspect of the present teachings, the cover plate may also provide a pivotally stable engagement unit when the folding top is disposed in the top open position and the covering plate is engaged with the vehicle body, thereby securely covering (closing) the passage aperture.
In another aspect of the present teachings, the cover plate optionally may be designed so as to optically (visually) integrate the cover plate with the contour of the vehicle body, thereby providing a visually appealing appearance.
In one representative embodiment of the present teachings, the cover plate preferably includes a safety catch designed to operate together (couple) with a guide element that is disposed (or mounted) on the vehicle body. The safety catch and the guide element preferably may define an engagement unit that becomes operative by movement of the folding top storage compartment lid. This engagement unit also may be easily designed so as to accurately position the cover plate over (or in) the passage aperture so that the cover plate accurately and securely covers (closes) the passage aperture when the folding top has been stored in the folding top storage compartment.
In another representative embodiment, the covering plate may be guided along the vehicle body contour toward the passage aperture covering position by a combined pivoting/linear extending movement. The pivoting movement may be transmitted from the folding top storage compartment lid, when the folding top storage compartment lid is being moved to cover the stored folding top. In this case, the cover plate may be moved (extended) towards the passage aperture along a path that avoids contact with surrounding vehicle body components and achieves an optimal closed (engaged) position in the area surrounding the passage aperture.
In the final phase of this preferred joint closing movement of the folding top storage compartment lid and the cover plate, the cover plate is preferably guided by the safety catch into a closed (covering) position so that the cover plate is disposed an optimal closed (covering) position with respect to the vehicle shoulder line. This feature of the present teachings also optionally may be utilized to provide a visually appealing overall appearance for the rear portion of the convertible vehicle body when the folding top is stored.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present teachings will be readily understood to a person of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of examples and embodiments of the present teachings together with the claims and the accompanying drawings.